When re-encoding video from one format to another, it is difficult to determine how the various encoding parameters will affect the resultant video images. Some prior art solutions for comparing an original video to its resultant newly encoded counterpart include encoding a video stream and subsequently playing both the original video and the newly encoded video, separately, to detect any differences. However, an encoding process may be lengthy, and waiting to compare the video streams after an encoding process is complete does not allow for real time adjustments in the encoding process and is not the most efficient solution. In addition, in such prior art solutions, there is no sure way of synchronizing the video streams to each other for comparison.